The Spirit of This Amazing College Student Lives On After Her Life Is Cut Short

She never rode in a hot air balloon. Or flew a plane. And she didn’t travel around the world. So while Chico State nursing student Kristina Chesterman wasn’t able to fulfill all the wishes on her high school bucket list because an alleged drunk driver cut her life short last September, she did check off a major item — saving a life.

In fact, the late 21-year-old Californian didn’t just save one life. She saved five. As the Huffington Post reports, that’s because Chesterman chose to be an organ donor, giving the chance of life to others — including 64-year-old Susan Vieira.

According to KRCR-TV, Susan Vieria, a 64 year-old with congestive heart failure who has now vowed to complete every item on Kristina’s Bucket list so that, even though the rest of her will never fulfill her dreams, at least her heart will.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, other organ recipients include two babies who received portions of Chesterman’s liver and a family friend who received a kidney.

Scene: Her destroyed bike (pictured) was carried for another 200 feet by the 19-year-old drunk driver

The newspaper adds that besides the gift of life, the young organ donor inspired her university to start the Kristina Chesterman Memorial Nursing Scholarship, which has already raised more than $30,000. Her fellow nursing students are also reportedly raising money to build a clinic in Nigeria that will be in her name.

Umm, So I’m not sure if anyone could help me here but I live in Tulsa Oklahoma and I am a pilot. It would be my honor to take Susan Vieira flying. If anyone knows how to get into contact with her please E-mail me at mcnabadl@gmail.com and please refer to this in the title. Thanks everybody!!!

My name is Jennifer Johnson. I’m a missionary in Kenya, Africa, and I want to invite Susan Vieria to visit me in my home and also take her on safari. If anyone knows how to get in touch with her, please contact me at eternallyblessed100778@yahoo.com Thanks!

I am a faculty member at Chico State and although I did not know Kristina, the reactions of the nursing student cohort on campus was palpable. She must have been an amazing person and as a parent of an infant heart transplant recipient (who is now 5 yo), I can appreciate how much her gifts will mean to the people who receive them and their families. There is a white bike with flowers and a sign on it where her accident took place and it is a reminder of not only her tragic end of life, but also her continuing impact on others. Thanks for running this story!